by Quell T Fox
Most girls, probably guys too, wouldn’t be watching horror movies by themselves, in a new house, at night and with no neighbors even remotely close by. Even though this situation screams slasher film, I’m all about it. It’s completely unlikely that a psychopath will break into your house and go on a killing spree. Normally they have a target and I don’t know anyone around here. The chances of a random killing are low. The key to not being afraid is knowledge.
I am going to completely ignore the fact that there was someone in my house a little while ago. Yeah that, is unimportant.
While I’m waiting for the movie to start, I pick up my phone to call my parents. We’re almost due for our monthly chat but seeing all the family stuff around the house has made me miss them a little more than normal. It rings twice and then goes to voicemail.
“Hi! You’ve reached Tom and Wendy Lewis!” It’s moms cheery voice that I hear. “We’re out of the country right now and can’t be reached at this number. Leave us a message and we will call you back when we get a chance!”
They are always so happy. I don’t understand how people can be that happy, never mind all the time. Where did I come from? It’s not that I’m not happy, but I’m not a bubbly cup of tea like mom and dad. They are both extroverts and I am 100% introvert. The thought of being adopted has crossed my mind on more than one occasion. I wouldn’t even be upset if I found that out. It wouldn’t change anything. Blood isn’t what makes you family, it’s love and respect. I love and respect my parents and I know they love and respect me. That is why we are family.
I leave a message telling them that I was just checking in and I hope they have a good trip and to call when they have time. They travel frequently, so this doesn’t surprise me in any way. They retired a few years ago and like to spend their days on warm beaches and cold mountains. Good for them. Maybe that’s where my lack of wanting to settle down comes from, it’s like a fucked-up form of their love for travelling.
They were both born and raised in Georgia. Shortly after I was born, dad was promoted to Senior Director, the only stipulation was that they’d have to move to Florida. They had no qualms about moving, especially since I was a baby and hadn’t started school yet. They didn’t have any family to leave behind, their parents had passed away before I came into the picture. They had a few friends, their closest being Uncle Oliver and Aunt Shelley. I’ve always called them that, because again, family isn’t about blood. They always kept in contact with each other and they’d come to visit us a few times a year. They never had children, so it was easier for them to travel to us. They are probably with them right now, on a warm tropical island sipping on a brightly colored drink that barely has any alcohol in it.
Here, on the other hand, is getting colder by the day. The blanket I’m currently wrapped in is one that I’ve had since I was a child. It’s so worn out that it doesn’t keep me warm anymore, but I can’t bring myself to get rid of it. I left extra blankets in Abraham’s closet; I pick a thick navy blue one that is super soft. I’d rather pile on the blankets than turn the heat up. I get back into my spot on the couch and continue to eat my pizza. I will never get sick of pizza, I’m sure of that. Before I realize it, I’ve eaten half the box. I put the other half in the fridge for breakfast in the morning. Most people don’t like cold pizza but to me, it’s just as good as hot pizza. While I’m up, I grab another beer and make it back to the couch just as the last commercial is ending.
I finish the beer in my hand and place the empty can down by the other four. Debating whether I want another or not. Normally, I don’t drink this much beer, but I was enjoying it tonight. I’m starting to get tired, either from the beer or from being lazy all day. Isn’t it funny that you can spend the day doing nothing and still be so tired? Deciding on bed, I fold up the navy-blue blanket and I lay it over the back of the couch, holding onto the other one to bring upstairs with me. Using the remote, I shut off the TV. The movie has a few minutes left in it, but I can already tell how it is going to end.
Raven is nowhere to be found, she’s probably up in bed sleeping already. I know cats are lazy by nature, but I feel like she is extra lazy. I make sure to brush my teeth before I go to bed, it’s not something I remember to do all the time, but I do it as often as possible. I strip down to my panties, dropping my clothes into the laundry basket. Pajamas are pointless and I find them to be uncomfortable.
Raven isn’t up here, either. She probably found another place to sleep, there are plenty of them in this giant house. She’ll come up eventually, she’s always in bed when I wake up. Andrew will probably be home soon; I’m surprised he isn’t here yet. The bed sheets are cold when I get in and I regret not taking up the other blanket. I’m not desperate enough to go get it.
Now that I’m in bed, I realize that I’m not ready for sleep. I am tired, but I guess I just wanted to lay in bed. I start a mental list of the things I am going to need to make more product to sell. I’ll have to find a good craft store around here and stock up on supplies. Usually, I have enough but with the move I let my supply dwindle down so there would be less to pack and travel with.
Before we left California, I updated my website to let all my customers know that I would be on vacation and all orders will have to wait until I return. It’s been a few weeks now, longer than I anticipated. Getting supplies will have to be a priority, because I don’t want to lose any of my faithful customers. Some people have been buying from me for years. Some have even set up an automatic payment. I ship their supplies out to them every sixty days, without them having to request it. It isn’t something that I offer officially, but I made exceptions for the few who asked about it.
Rolling over onto my stomach, I close my eyes and focus on sleep and it comes all too easily.
I feel the bed dip and it wakes me up slightly. I don’t know how long I’ve been asleep, but I can tell it hasn’t been long. I feel Andrew slowly moving closer. He settles right behind me, slipping his arm around my waist and he pulls me closer into him. I expect to feel him hard and ready for sex, but that is not the case, not this time. He holds me close and the warmth from his body pushes me back into sleep land.
***
Raven is meowing loudly. I slowly open my eyes and see her staring at me from the floor. The room is dark, I look towards the window and it’s dark outside too.
“What’s wrong, Raven?” I ask with my sleep filled voice. “It’s too early to be awake, go back to sleep.” She meows once more and then runs out of the room.
I pick up my phone to check the time and I notice I have an unread text.
Andrew: Sorry it’s so late babe, going to stay here tonight. Had a few beers and don’t want to drive back. Call if you need anything. See you in the morning. Love you. Xoxo
I jump up, suddenly wide awake. The bed is empty. How can that be? I felt Andrew in bed with me just a little while ago. Was it another dream? No, that was not a dream. That was definitely real. I sit up with my back against the headboard, pulling the blankets up to my neck. I check my phone again, wanting to reread the text to make sure I read it correctly. He sent it at 1:57am, it’s now 4:32am. I’m officially freaked out.
Raven meows again and startles me. She’s staring at me with her big yellow-green eyes, sitting in the same spot she was in a few moments ago. I didn’t see her come back into the room.
My heart is beating harder than normal. I start counting to try to relax myself.
One, two, three…
I look down at Raven who is still staring at me.
“Did I forget to feed you?”
Still staring. I scrub my hands over my face. I’m being ridiculous. Andrew isn’t here, obviously whatever I thought I felt wasn’t real and it was just a dream.
But it felt real.
Throwing my legs over the side of the bed, I stand, padding my way towards Andrew’s closet. I pull out a white t-shirt and throw it on.
“Let’s go, Raven. I really hope this is some kind of emergency for you
to have woken me up like this.”
Raven’s food bowl is in the kitchen. If I don’t feed her now, she won’t leave me alone until I do. We keep her food in the pantry by the bottom stairs, because if we leave it out, she will tear through the bag. I pick up the plastic cup that has a picture of a cartoon mouse on it, something Andrew has had since he was a kid. I fill it with her food and go to dump it in her bowl, only to realize that her bowl is full.
“Raven! Now is not the time for attention. It’s time for sleeping!” The words come out rough, considering I am talking to a cat. I also didn’t have to stomp my foot but I’m feeling a little crazy right now. I am tired and I’m actually concerned about the phantom person in bed with me. Do I have a stalker? Feeling like someone is in the house, smelling someone that isn’t there and now I’m feeling someone in bed with me? Fuck.
Opening the cabinet above the sink, I take a cup and fill it with water. I gulp it down, part of me wishing it was vodka. Before going back upstairs, I stop at the couch and pick up the blanket that I placed there earlier. I drape it around me, trying to get warm. I still won’t turn the heat up. I stand in the doorway to the bedroom for a moment, staring at the bed. Was I really imagining that or was there someone in bed with me? I have been having some vivid dreams lately, so maybe it could have been a dream. I know what I felt. I distinctly remember feeling the warmth of a body. I wish Andrew was here, being alone isn’t as exciting as I thought it would be.
Raven is balled up on my pillow, as usual. Instead of moving her, I decide to share the pillow. Her purring lulls me back to sleep in no time. I don’t wake up again until the sun is shining and it’s a reasonable time to wake up. 9:30. I can deal with that.
CHAPTER 7
I smell bacon. One of the only things that would make me want to get out of bed. Andrew must be home. The blankets are off me faster than a fat kid chasing an ice cream truck. There’s no time to pick out clothes, I grab whatever my hand touches first. Just in case he isn’t alone, but I still don’t bother with a bra. The girls are perky enough to not need one, anyway.
As I get nearer to the kitchen, the smell of greasy deliciousness invades my nose. There is something about breakfast that makes waking up in the morning worth it. All food is amazing, but oh, breakfast. I could live off breakfast foods. Eggs, pancakes, waffles, toast, sausage and of course bacon. Something about it makes me genuinely happy. I feel like this is the general consensus amongst us humans, who doesn’t love breakfast? As I enter the kitchen, the first thing I spot is a pancake mid-flip. There is a stack piled up on the counter, the bacon is frying in the pan that’s situated on the back burner. Andrew knows I like it extra crispy.
My hands slide around his waist and I nuzzle my head into the curve of his back. After last night, I appreciate having him here.
“Morning, babe. Sleep okay without me?” One hand goes to mine and the other is turning the bacon over.
Standing on my tip toes, I place a gentle kiss to the back of his neck. I turn and lift myself up to sit my butt on the counter.
“Eh, not bad. How was everything at your uncle’s place?” Picking up a pancake I pull pieces off and pop them into my mouth. What I really want to do is shove the entire thing in there, but I should work on safer eating habits.
“Just a bad clog, all set now. It was nice to catch up with him, though.”
Walking to the cabinet by the sink he picks up two blue plates and sets them on the table. He then walks to the pantry to get the syrup, placing it down on the counter while he takes the last pancake off the stove and puts all the bacon onto a plate. This is my cue to help. I hop down, pick the silver wear from the drawer and grab a few napkins.
I’m sitting down, my mouth watering, as I watch him carry everything over. I’m bouncing in my seat like a child on Christmas morning. Andrew shakes his head, places all the food in the center of the table and goes to his own seat.
“This looks so yummy. What did you do wrong?” I ask, cocking my head to the side, wondering what the deal is.
He smiles sweetly before responding.
“New house, new traditions. From now on I am going to cook you breakfast on Sunday mornings.” He folds his hands, placing them in front of his mouth, hiding part of his soft smile.
After allowing me to take as much food as I want, he takes three pancakes for himself and quite a bit of bacon. Don’t worry, there is still enough for seconds. I butter each of my pancakes and pour just the right amount of syrup over the top. You have to have the perfect pancake to syrup ratio, or it messes up the entire meal. Andrew knows better than to try to add butter or syrup to my pancakes for me. That kind of thing needs to be left to the professionals. Me. Not bothering with a knife because they take too much time, I cut my pancakes with the fork and dig in.
“I can get used to this.” I squeak, picking up a few more pieces of bacon to add to my plate, since it’s now empty.
Andrew is only about halfway done.
“Coffee or orange juice?”
“How about both?”
“You got it.”
***
When we are both stuffed to the max, Andrew heads back to the soon-to-be shop to continue working on whatever it is that he left off on yesterday. It looks like he’ll be finished by the time Abe moves in after all. I tried convincing him to do the least amount of work possible, but he insisted on adding a staircase going directly to the basement from the back room. Telling him that I don’t have any problem walking through the house to get to the basement didn’t make a difference. His mind is made up. Since I knew he was going to do it whether I want him to or not, I figured I’d take advantage and ask for a spiral staircase. He was more than happy to oblige.
There are a few dirty dishes in the sink, and I decide to wash them before taking inventory of my items. I make a list on my phone, needing more than I thought and too much to trust my memory on. Counting supplies doesn’t take long, my stomach is still very full of pancakes and bacon, I decide to relax on the couch for a bit. While I’m lounging, I start searching for decent craft stores in the area. There are not many to choose from. In fact, the closest one that will most likely have everything that I need is two hours away. There is one about an hour away, but I don’t trust it to have everything I need or the same brands that I like. I’d rather take the longer drive and get what I know I can and will use.
Falling slightly in and out of sleep, I spend an hour on the couch before deciding I should take a shower. I spend all afternoon binge-watching old horror movies, drifting in and out of sleep. Andrew stops his work every now and then to come over and give me a kiss. I wish the little things were enough to make me want to stay. As much as I want that to be the case, it won’t be.
We order pizza for dinner. I told you that I will never get sick of pizza. I searched for a different place to try tonight. The place I chose doesn’t deliver, but Andrew agreed to pick it up. Completely worth it. This place has the good crust, the one that’s nice and crunchy. I don’t like a soggy crust. It’s called crust for a reason.
We’re getting ready for bed and it’s only just starting to get dark outside. We have to be up early, not that Andrew has a problem with that, but me on the other hand? Doesn’t matter what time I go to bed, waking up is never easy. This should make it a little easier. I’m looking forward to my mini road trip to the craft store. Driving is relaxing, especially when I can listen to music as loud as I want. Andrew doesn’t appreciate music the way I do. I appreciate it by blasting the same song over and over until I get sick of it. That’s the right way, isn’t it?
Checking out this new craft store is giving me ideas about trying new things. When I looked online it seems they carry more of a variety than what I’m used to. I have been wanting to try out a few new ingredients and fragrances, and I may give it a shot. What better time to try new things than in a new place?
Raven starts meowing again, I take the toothbrush out of my mouth and look over my shoulder. She’s in the same
spot that she was in when she woke me up. What’s up with her? Rinsing my mouth out, I open the medicine cabinet and put my toothbrush back into the holder.
Andrew walks over to Raven and picks her up, I see her stiffen. “What’s wrong raven? What are you meowing at?” I see the fear in her eyes, she hates being held and I’m not even sure why. I can hear her purring, but she doesn’t look relaxed. As soon as he releases her she runs out of the room, probably going to find a place to hide.
“She’s been weird lately. She woke me up at some ridiculous hour last night, just staring and meowing at me.”
“Probably the house, she isn’t used to it. If she’s still being weird in a week or so, I’ll bring her to a vet.”
Andrews hands find my hips and he pulls me into him. Resting his chin on top of my head, I breathe him in. Vanilla and cinnamon. One of my more popular fragrances. The scent suits him. He’s used it since we got together. My hands go around his waist as his lips find mine. He starts moving us towards the bed, never letting go or breaking the kiss. He kisses the way he looks, sweet and lovingly. His lips are soft, and full. His mouth tastes like mint, from the toothpaste.
The back of my thighs hit the mattress and I sit, finally breaking the kiss. Andrew straightens, taking his jeans off but leaving on his boxers. His fingers reach under the hem of my shirt, grazing my skin only slightly. He pulls the white t-shirt over my head, throwing it behind him somewhere. Being in control during sex, it’s what I like. Sometimes, though, he needs to be in control and I’m okay with that. Resting my hands flat on the bed behind me, I relax and close my eyes. Waiting for him to make his move.
